September 4 — 6, 2025
Join us at the Westin Galleria Dallas, Texas, for the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala
Join friends and colleagues at this amazing three-day event providing educational and fun opportunities for all members of ISSA!
- This event has passed so registration is closed.
Celebrating 40 Years of Growth & Connection in Dallas 2025
For forty years, ISSA has helped members throughout their careers, learn, grow and connect with their local cybersecurity communities. In 2025, as we emerge through some challenging transitions in recent years, ISSA International excited to celebrate where we have been, where we are and where we are going. Join us as we bring our members and chapters together at this special event!
Celebrate Excellence
Join us at the ISSA Awards Ceremony & Gala celebrating outstanding ISSA members.
Gain Exclusive Insights
Attend the ISSA Conference for valuable insights from industry experts.
Learn From the Best
Discover the secrets of success from chapters worldwide at the Chapter Leaders Meeting.
Supercharge Your Career
Catapult your career, seize fresh opportunities, and thrive in this dynamic industry.
Expand Your Network
Unleash new opportunities as you connect, collaborate, and cultivate relationships
Experience Dallas
Experience the energy and excitement of Dallas while networking at the gala.
Hotel Reservations
Book your hotel at Westin Galleria Dallas - Reserve Now
Conference & Gala Registration Rates
Conference & Gala rates:
- Members*: $200 USD
- Non-Members: $275 USD
- Students**: $75 USD
Conference only rates:
- Members*: $75 USD
- Non-Members: $130 USD
Gala only rates:
- Members*: $75 USD
- Non-Members: $125 USD
*To access the member rate, you must be a dues-paying member of ISSA International in good standing. On the registration website, you will be prompted to sign in to your ISSA member account.
**Student rates are for ISSA Student members only and are subject to verification of student membership.
See our Cancellation & Refund Policy below.
Secure Your Spot at the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala
Register now for the event of the year! Join us for the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala at the Westin Galleria Dallas.
Register your group today! Email MemberServices@issa.org to receive your group discount code! Groups of 5 or more receive 10% discount off tickets, with 10 or more receive 20% off!
Celebrating Excellence and Achievement
Embrace the spirit of recognition as we honor remarkable contributions across a diverse range of categories in the field of information security.
September Cyber Executive Forum 2025
The cyber executive forum is a unique, intimate learning experience designed exclusively for C-level cyber professionals. Complimentary attendance is by invitation only.
Any past ISSA Cyber Executive Forum (CEF) Members are invited to join us at the September 4th CEF with a free guest pass. Come see what we have in store for the CEF as we try and build upon our last event. Plus, register the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event (Conference & Gala) the next day!
ISSA Members Conference
Join us for a day of education and networking with ISSA members from all over the world! At the end of the day, share experiences at the evening reception before heading off to the Awards Gala!
Chapter Leaders Meeting
Join other Chapter Board members for a day of ideas, learning and best practices to bring back for your local members and opportunities for your local chapters!
Speakers
Program
| Date | Time (CT) | Event | Contacts/Presenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, September 4 |
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Cyber Executive Forum - Registration Now Open | |
| Thursday, September 4 |
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Career Axis Track | |
| Thursday, September 4 |
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Cyber Resilience Leadership Masterclass: From Best Practice To Execution | Francesco Chiarni, Chairman ISSA Cyber Resilience SIG, Founder and Lead Instructor Cyber Resilience Academy, Patrick Lechner, Jim Shook, Esq. |
| Thursday, September 4 |
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Welcome Reception | |
| Friday, September 5 |
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | ISSA Members Conference & Reception | |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast | ||
| 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | Welcome | Sandra Lambert, Founder of ISSA | |
| 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM | Keynote - Cybersecurity in Transition: Past Insights, Future Imperatives | Dutch Schwartz, Mary Ajayi, Jerich Beason, AJ Yawn | |
| 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM | General Session: The Guard and the Guide: Demystifying AI Security and Safety - Slides |
Candy Alexander | |
| Emerging Technologies | Kelly Robertson | ||
| Mental Fortitude: The Next Generation of Security Talent: Humans + Machines |
Rob Fry |
||
| 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM | General Session: Panel: Emerging & Anticipated Threats |
Roxanne Pirooz, Ricky Allen, Victoriano Casas | |
| Emerging Technologies: Slides - part one Slides - part two |
Josh Peltz | ||
| Mental Fortitude | Tony North | ||
| 12:00 PM - 12:15 PM | ISSA Announcements | ||
| 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Lunch | ||
| 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM | Keynote - Cybersecurity and the AI Race | Jim Reavis, CEO, Cloud Security Alliance | |
| 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM | General Session: From Firewalls to AI: Lessons from the Past to Secure the Future |
Larry Whiteside Jr. |
|
| Emerging Technologies: Prioritizing infrastructure in a world full of mission-critical systems - Slides |
Danielle Jablanski |
||
| Mental Fortitude: The AI Bias Multiplier - Slides |
Dutch Schwarz | ||
| 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM | General Session: The Past, Present, and Future of Security and How to Stop It - Slides |
Sounil Yu |
|
| Emerging Technologies: High-Risk, High-Reward: Securing Your Organization in the Multi-Cloud Era - Slides |
Matthew Hains | ||
| Mental Fortitude: Leading Where You Stand: Cultivating Resilience and Responsibility in Cybersecurity |
M.K. Palmore | ||
| 4:10 PM - 5:00 PM | President's Panel | Shawn Murray, Amy Chaney, President of North Texas chapter, Jimmy Sanders | |
| Friday, September 5 |
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM | ISSA Awards Ceremony & Gala | |
| Saturday, September 6 |
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Chapter Leaders Meeting (Schedule below) | |
| 8:00 AM - 8:15 AM | Welcome | William Smith Jr., Cailin Sullivan, Robert Kinzer | |
| 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM | Opening Remarks (Strategy & Goals) | Jimmy Sanders, President, ISSA International | |
| 8:45 AM - 9:30 AM | Succession Planning | Scott McCandless, President, Denver ISSA | |
| 9:45 AM - 10:30 AM | Membership Mapping with Google Maps | Cailin Sullivan, President New England ISSA | |
| 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM | Ask Me Anything (AMA) Panel | Candy Alexander, Scott Friedman, North Texas Events Director, Terry Boedeker, Ranier chapter Secretary, Richard Greenberg, LA Chapter President, Grzegorz Cenkier, Poland chapter Marketing officer |
|
| 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Lunch | ||
| 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM | Student Subchapters | Alena Funtikova-White, College Sub-Chapters Director, North Texas ISSA | |
| 1:45 PM - 2:00 PM | Closing Remarks | William Smith Jr., Cailin Sullivan, Robert Kinzer | |
Conference Dress Code: Business Casual
Gala Dress Code: Cocktail Attire
2024 & 2025 Award Winners
2024 Winners to be Awarded:
- Volunteer of the Year: Rashmi Bharathan
- Chapter of the Year – International: ISSA Polska (Poland)
- Chapter of the Year – Large: South Texas ISSA Chapter
- Chapter of the Year – Medium: Alamo ISSA Chapter
2025 Winners to be Awarded:
- Security Professional of the Year: David Ruiz, ISSA Raleigh Chapter
- Organization of the Year: Grand Canyon University
- Honor Roll:
- Walter Magda, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
- Srikant Mantravadi, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
- Volunteer of the Year:
- Chandler Miller, ISSA Alamo Chapter
- Lindsey Mote, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
- Tim Thomasson, ISSA Metro Atlanta Chapter
- Parth Shah. ISSA Ranier Chapter
- Deb Bond, ISSA Phoenix Chapter
- Chapter of the Year – Small: ISSA Rainer Chapter
- Chapter of the Year – Medium: ISSA Phoenix Chapter
- Chapter of the Year – Large: ISSA South Texas Chapter
Secure Your Spot at the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala
Register now for the event of the year! Join us for the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala at the Westin Galleria Dallas.
Register your group today! Email MemberServices@issa.org to receive your group discount code! Groups of 5 or more receive 10% discount off tickets, with 10 or more receive 20% off!
Sponsors
Interested in Sponsoring the ISSA 40th Anniversary Event and 2025 Awards Gala?
For sponsorship information, please reach out by clicking on the button.
ISSA Conference Registration Cancellation & Refund Policy:
Substitution, cancellation, and refund requests must be submitted via email to MemberServices@issa.org.
- For cancellations received through Aug 9, you may receive a full refund minus a $50 administrative fee.
- For cancellations received between Aug 12 through Aug 25, fifty percent (50%) of the registration fee will be refunded.
- Cancellations received on or after Aug 25 are nonrefundable. No refunds will be granted for nonappearances.
- Substitutions are permitted at any time upon written notice from the original registrant.
- Confirmation of refund request is the responsibility of the attendee.
- Refunds will be processed no later than Aug 25.